Suction-cleaner.



W. W. ROSENFIELD. shcnow CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17. 1913.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

Attest: Inventor:

i; Atty WILLIAM w. nosmvrmm, on NEW Your, a. Y.

sucrroiv-cnmnna,

Application filed December 17, 1913. Serial No. 807,158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. Rosen- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Suction-Cleaners, fully descri ed and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly to suction cleaners of the self-contained type, that is, of the kind in which the motor, fan, dirt receptacle and cleaning nozzle are mounted to move together as the nozzle is passed over the surface to be cleaned.

With such cleaners of this type it has been found that when the cleaner is used for cleaning carpets, rugs, etc., a higher efficiency results when the cleaning nozzle is maintained at a slight distance from the normal plane ofthe surface to be cleaned, the carpet being lifted by the suction sllghtly from the floor and against the lips of the nozzle and a more thorough cleaning resulting than when the nozzle bears down on the carpet and presses it against the floor. In addition, the cleaner is more easlly passed over the surface to be cleaned when its weight is supported independently of the nozzle so'that the frictional contact between the nozzle and the surface of the carpet, or other surface to becleaned, is merely that resulting fromthe suction. The above result is commonly attained by providing the cleaner with an auxiliary roller or other running support adjacent the nozzle and so positioned as to elevate the nozzle a slight distance above the normal plane of the surface of the carpet; The aim of the present invention is to provide such an auxiliary roller or running support which shall be readlly and quickly adjustable to predetermined positions for varying the position of the nozzle with respect to the normal plane of the surface to be cleaned, and especially to provide for readily adjusting the position of the nozzle for use either wlth or without a supple-- mentary nozzle or attachment such as a thread pick-up attachment which provides nozzle lips lying in a plane beyond the lips of the nozzle proper.

A full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description of a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

' construction embodying the same in an approved form, and such a description will now be given in connection with the accomusing the cleaner without the nozzle attachment; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showmg the position of the roller for lifting the nozzle when the latter is provided with the supplementary nozzle or attachment.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the roller and its stem removed from the cleaner.

Referring to the drawin s, the suction cleaner of the self-contained %ype shown has a body formed by a motor casin 10, fan casing 11, and nozzle 12 extending ownward from the front of the fan casing. It will be understood that the nozzle is extended transversely as usual to provide a comparatively long and narrow suction inlet opening between the lips of the nozzle. The cleaner is provided with a pair of running wheels, one

of which, 13, is shown, located to the rear of the center of gravity of the body, and is operated by means of a pivoted handle 14. A dirt receptacle is indicated at 15.

For lifting the nozzle slightlyabove the normal plane of the surface to be cleaned and for adjusting the position of the nozzle with respect to said surface, a vertically adjustable auxiliary running support is provided which for the form of cleaner shown is positioned adjacent the nozzle, such running support being formed best, and as shown, by a single roller mounted directly behind the nozzle and which is adjustable to predetermined upper and lower positions by the simple act of giving the roller and its mounting a half turn in either direction about a vertical axis. For this purpose in the construction shown, the roller is carried by a stem 17 which extendsinto and is longitudinally movable and rotatable in a recess or socket 18 formed in a bracket or part"19 which is shown as, and may be, a part of the nozzle or'intake passage casing. The stem 17 is formed with an endless guiding groove 20 extending diagonally of and around the stem and with position determining depressions on opposite. sides of the stem and at the top and bottomof the guiding grooveas indicated by dotted lines at the points 21 and 22 in Figs. 2 and 3, the depressions 21 and 22 being also shown in Fig. 4, the depression 22 being shown by* dotted lines. Communicating with the vertical socket or recess 18 is a horizontally extending opening 23 which may be conveniently formed by drilling inward from the outer face of the bracket 19 at right forming a yielding memberfor holding angles to and through the socket 18. Mounted in the opening 23 is a ball 24 which is pressed outward by a spring 25 and which is held in position when the stem- 17 is removed by a slight upsettingof the material at the edge of the opening. The ball when the stem and roller are turned by riding in the guide groove. By this construction, therefore, when the roller and stem are given a half turn in either direction from the position shown in Fig. 2, the ball 24 being first forced slightly inward will then ride in the groove 20 and cause the stem to move outward until, after the stem and roller have been givena half turn, the upper depression 22 will be brought opposite position shown in Fig. 3. A half turn of" the roller and stem in either direction from the ball and the ball will enter such depression and hold the roller and stem in the this position will cause the roller to be returned to the upper position of adjustment shown in Fig. 2 and to beheld therein by the ball entering the lower depression 21. The rollermay be entirely removed from the cleaner by pulling the stem outward with sufiicient strength to disengage the stem from the ball.

The; two predetermined positions of adjustment of the roller should be such that when the roller is in its upper position as shown in Fig.2 the nozzle will be supported in position for use without any attachment, and that when the roller is in its lower position as shown in Fig. 3 the nozzle will be raised so that the running face or lower surface of a thread pick-up attachment, or other auxiliary nozzle or cleaning device such, for example, as shown at 30 in Fig. 3, will be in proper position sli htly above the normal plane of the suace to be cleaned. If it should be desired to have the nozzle attachment run in contact'with a hard floor or over a hard surface, it is the nozzle of the cleaner may beadjusted to predetermined ositions as required for use in the desired manner either with or without the auxiliary nozzle or attachment referred to.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and application shown and to which the foregoing description has been mainly confined, but that it includes changes and modifications thereof within the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A roller support for suction cleaners, comprising a roller, and means for adjustably mounting said roller, including a stem by which the roller is'carried and which is formed with a plurality of position determining depressions and a diagonally extending guide groove connecting said depressions, a part having a socket for receiving said stem, and a yielding member for engaging in said groove and for entering said depressions to hold the stem in adjusted position.

2. A roller support for suction cleaners,

comprising aroller, ahd means for adjustbly mounting said roller, including a stem by which the roller is carried and which is formed with a plurality of position determining depresslons, a part having a socket for receiving said stem, means for causing an endwise movement of the stem in said socket when the stem is turned, and a member for entering said depressions to hold the stem in adjusted position.

3. A roller support for suction cleaners, comprising a roller, and means for adj ustably mounting said roller, including a stem by which the roller is carried and which is formed with a diagonally extending endless guide groove encircling the stem and with upper and lower position determining depressions on opposlte sides of the stem and respectively at the upper and lower extremities of said guide groove, a part having a socket for receiving said stem, and a spring pressed member for engaging in said groove to cause the stem to move endwise in its socket when turned in either direction and for entering said depressions to hold the part having a socket for receiving said stem, and co-actmg means formed to releasably hold the roller stem against turning and to cause the stem to move endwise in its socket when turned therein.

5. A self-contained suction cleaner having a running support and a depending cleaning nozzle relatively located with respect to the body of the cleaner so that the center of gravity of the cleaner shall be between said running support and said nozzle, a running support adjacent the nozzle, a thread pick-up attachment removably secured to the nozzle formed to provide spaced surface-engaging means extending parallel to the lips of the nozzle in a plane below said lips, and means for adjusting one of said running supports to predetermined upper and lower operative positions and norposition the nozzle will be supported in posisuch upper tion for use with the attachment with the surface-engaging means of the attachment slightly above the normal plane of the surface to be cleaned.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

WILLIAM W. ROSENFIELD.

Witnesses:

A. L. KENT, PAUL H. Flm rxn. 

